Dead Filmmakers Society 2012 set at WIU

Movie watchers who love the “classics” can find a home at Western Illinois University during this summer’s “The Dead Filmmakers Society 2012.”

The free screenings will be held on Thursdays in June and July in the Sandburg Theatre in the University Union at WIU. All films begin at 7 p.m.

Many of the showings will be preceded by selected short subjects.

Canton Daily Ledger - Canton, IL

Writer

Posted Jun. 8, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jun 8, 2012 at 7:12 AM

Posted Jun. 8, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jun 8, 2012 at 7:12 AM

MACOMB

Movie watchers who love the “classics” can find a home at Western Illinois University during this summer’s “The Dead Filmmakers Society 2012.”

The free screenings will be held on Thursdays in June and July in the Sandburg Theatre in the University Union at WIU. All films begin at 7 p.m.

Many of the showings will be preceded by selected short subjects.

All of the movies are from the collection of WIU film Professor Richard Ness, who hosts each screening. The series is sponsored by the WIU Department of Broadcasting.

The screenings begin June 7 with “The Man Who Knew Too Much” (1934). The original British version of Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller involves a couple trying to infiltrate a gang of spies who have kidnapped their child. The film features a justifiably famous sequence at the Albert Hall, as well as a great performance by Peter Lorre as (what else) a villain.

Other films include:

• June 14 – “La Merveilleuse Visite” (The Marvelous Visit) (1974) - The last theatrical feature film by Marcel Carne (Les Enfants du paradis) is an adaptation of an H. G. Wells story about an angel who falls to Earth and changes the lives of the inhabitants of a French village. In French with English subtitles.

• June 21 – “Homebodies” (1974) - A group of senior citizens facing eviction from their apartment building by developers decide to take matters into their own hands in a lethal way in this bizarre and entertaining dark comedy shot in Cincinnati.

• June 28 – “David and Lisa” (1962) - This study of the relationship between two disturbed adolescents at a special school is a landmark of independent cinema. Made on a budget of $180,000, the film was a success with both critics and audiences, and earned Oscar nominations for director Frank Perry and writer Eleanor Perry.

• July 5 – “Strange Invaders” (1983) - In this throwback to the science fiction films of the 1950s, a small Midwestern town that seems to be stuck in the Eisenhower era is actually the headquarters for a group of aliens preparing for an invasion. The film features a cast of familiar character actors, including Louise Fletcher, Wallace Shawn and June Lockhart. Keep an eye out for Macomb on a shot of a map as the hero drives across Illinois.

• July 12 – “Scene of the Crime” (1986) - A chance encounter between a boy and an ex-convict in the woods near his village has deadly consequences in this atmospheric drama directed by Andre Techine. Featuring Catherine Deneuve, in a critically acclaimed performance as the boy’s mother, and renowned French actress Danielle Darrieux. In French with English subtitles.

• July 19 – “The Sterile Cuckoo” (1969) - Liza Minnelli earned an Oscar nomination for her performance as a college student dealing with the joy and pain of first love. Directed by Alan J. Pakula (Klute, All the President’s Men) and featuring the Oscar-nominated song “Come Saturday Morning.”

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• July 26 – “A Laurel and Hardy Evening” - We end this season with another fine mess. Our salute to Stan and Ollie, the duo considered by many to be the greatest comedy team of all time, includes the feature-length Blockheads (1938) and a selection of classic short films.